Poll decision needed soon - Hague

Many in the countryside are unable to travel freely.

William Hague has refused to back rural groups who are calling for an immediate postponement of May elections.

The Conservative leader has said it will be a week before a proper judgement can be made over whether ballots should be delayed because of foot-and-mouth.

The timing of the general election was a "legitimate question", he said, which depended on "where this disease is going, on what is happening, on how many regions of the country are affected, and on how serious it is".

The question for today is how to stop the further spread of this disease.

William Hague

Downing Street has given a strong indication that it believes elections can be held in the current climate but a poll for Channel 4 News published on Thursday suggests public opinion is swinging against a May general election.

The survey, conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, suggests almost half of voters do not want a poll on 3 May because of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The NOP poll found that 47% of those questioned opposed an election on that date while 36% were in favour and 18% undecided.

The results contrast with last week's BBC News Online poll which suggested 63% of voters thought the general election should go-ahead whatever the situation with foot-and-mouth disease.

Mr Hague said the latest survey showed how seriously people in all parts of the country were taking the crisis.

But he insisted he was not afraid of contesting a May election.

"I am absolutely fully ready to go to the polls on 3 May and was ready to go to the polls at an earlier stage this year."

The opposition leader told BBC News earlier he would not be afraid to give his advice on whether elections should go ahead "at the appropriate time".

Asked whether the current atmosphere was conducive to a properly conducted general election campaign, the leader of the opposition said: "I think that depends on what happens in the coming week.

"The question for today is how to stop the further spread of this disease."

Mr Hague called for extra resources for rural businesses affected by the outbreak, including tax exemptions and rebates.

If the government decides to go ahead with a spring general election on 3 May, widely believed to be its preferred date, it has until 5 April to ask for parliament to be dissolved.

To postpone the local elections, parliament would have to pass emergency legislation by the end of next week.

William Hague wants to wait a week.

The government is keeping its options open, saying its intention - "for the moment" - is to push ahead with the scheduled local elections on 3 May.

The prime minister's official spokesman has said "the world would be alarmed if the elections were postponed".

He has also suggested postal votes could be an option for people living in restricted areas.

But behind the scenes the government is preparing the emergency legislation required to delay the local elections.

'Confusing messages'

With plans for a mass cull of apparently healthy sheep expected to be announced by Agriculture Minister Nick Brown, the government has come under fire from a senior Conservative MP.

David Curry, who chairs the cross-party Commons Agriculture Committee, said: "I think the mixed messages are now extremely confusing".

The government was saying the disease was "still rampant" while insisting the election would go ahead, he said.

Foot-and-mouth disease continues to spread.

David Drew MP, chair of Labour's backbench agriculture committee, argued that any decision should be put on hold "until we have got to the bottom of this crisis" .

Farmers and councillors from some of the worse affected areas are increasingly hostile to holding any ballots before the outbreak has been successfully contained.

The leaders of Cornwall, Devon, Shropshire and Wiltshire county councils have said it would be wrong for voting to go ahead under current movement restrictions.

Restrictions

And a sheep farmer in East Sussex said talk of elections was "very insensitive" while the crisis was "far from over".

Frank Langrish told BBC News: "A large number of farmers and rural people who work in the countryside are going to find it very difficult to canvas or campaign in those areas where restrictions are on.

"And those restrictions are going to remain for a long time."